King of Hearts

In October 1918, the German occupiers rig the town's automaton clock to detonate the ammunition magazine at midnight when the knight strikes the bell. The barber overhears the plan and races to warn the Allies, even as the town begins to evacuate. He is killed during the transmission, but the warning confirms the deadline.

Signaller Charles Plumpick, a veteran of caring for war pigeons rather than explosives, is ordered by his colonel to disarm the bomb and decipher the phrase 'the knight strikes at midnight.' He must interpret the clue and locate the trigger before disaster strikes. Despite his lack of weapons expertise, he is sent to save the town.

Plumpick reaches the town carrying two carrier pigeons and must slip past wary German soldiers. He avoids detection as he travels through streets that are tense with war outside. The town's strange calm is a prelude to the farce that will soon unfold.

Inside the asylum, Plumpick puts on pajamas and blends with inmates who introduce themselves as The Duke of Clubs and Monsignor Daisy. When he proclaims himself 'King of Hearts,' the inmates greet him with deference and the Germans overlook him. The surreal disguise allows him to operate while the true danger remains unseen.

Plumpick regains consciousness to discover the asylum inmates have left and taken over the town, adopting the roles of the town's people. They perform a playful, theatrical life at odds with wartime fear. He must reckon with a new reality where danger is present but disguised as whimsy.

The barber fails to recognize the password 'the whiting likes to fly,' leaving him unhelpful to Plumpick's mission. General Geranium cannot direct him toward the ammunition magazine, so the trail goes cold. The lack of reliable guidance deepens Plumpick's isolation.

One of Plumpick's pigeons is shot down by the Germans, who misinterpret its message as proof that the magazine has been dismantled. The miscommunication robs Plumpick of a quick lead on the bomb. The imminent explosion still hangs over the town.

Returning to the town, Plumpick discovers the asylum empty and realizes the lunatics are occupying the streets. They crown him 'King of Hearts' with irony-filled pageantry as the madame introduces him to Poppy, a young girl eager to help forget the war. The scene marks a radical shift from grim wartime to carnival-like misrule.

Poppy and the inmates urge a warning about midnight, but the townsfolk shrug it off as superstition. Plumpick persists in sounding the alarm, but the others treat it as a trivial concern. The countdown to disaster continues amid merriment.

As 'king,' Plumpick tries to shepherd the inmates toward safety at the edge of town. They follow him partway, but refuse to go into the dangerous unknown beyond. The group faces an uncertain journey that could be their salvation or their doom.

Three minutes to midnight, Plumpick stands atop the clocktower with Poppy, awaiting the knight's fate. She insists the clockwork warrior will come out at midnight, and he finally understands the mechanism's danger. He climbs to stop the knight from striking the bell.

The knight nears; in the struggle, it strikes Plumpick's head instead of the bell and retreats. The explosion is averted and the town is saved for now. Dawn breaks as the unlikely victory settles in and the inmates celebrate their survival.

In the morning, German troops advance while British troops line up in opposition. Plumpick joins the formation but is pulled away by Poppy and the women. The two sides clash and Plumpick survives as the only soldier left, while the liberators approach and the inmates decide to return to the asylum.

Plumpick and his surviving pigeon are awarded medals for their mission. As they pass the asylum, he leaps from the convoy, sheds his uniform, and returns to the gate naked except for the pigeon cage. The inmates greet him as 'King of Hearts' and vow he will never leave them again.